So Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them: "I'm here to introduce you to this God.... He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him!" ~Acts 17

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The temptation of vengeance in movies

Writer and
director Scott Derrickson recently posted on Twitter: “I believe that in
future history the revenge ethic will be seen as the great cinematic signature
of American mental [and] spiritual sickness.”

The revenge theme
is popular in American films, from classics like True Grit, Pale
Rider and Death Wish to Unforgiven, Kill
Bill and, most recently, The Revenant.

In Saint
Paul at the Movies, Robert Jewett calls revenge “one of the most pervasive
tales in American culture.”

I must admit, a
few of the above films are among my favorites, but Derrickson’s post challenges
us to consider not only their underlying ethics but also what they reveal about
our culture.

The desire for
vengeance is ancient. In one of the core biblical passages about vengeance,
Paul — who, Jewett points out, lived in a culture where it wasn’t uncommon for
some Jews to take the law into their own hands to avenge injustices by
authorities — tells Roman believers to leave vengeance to God, “for it is
written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Rom. 12:19).

However, notes
Jewett, Paul doesn’t deny the principle of vengeance itself. He knows that “in
this imperfect and violent world, human beings yearn for some kind of justice.
When people have suffered at the hands of thieves and murderers, they usually
hope that such evil will someday be overcome. To believe that the universe is
as unfair as everyday experience is too demoralizing to tolerate.”

Today, that
yearning is deeply present in our own culture as we wrestle with everything
from broken justice systems to horrific terrorist attacks. We, too, hunger for
justice.

Which explains
why we might experience, as Christianity Today film critic Brett McCrackenputs it, a “conflicting catharsis” at the end of these films: “cathartic
because an evil villain is dispatched in a fittingly violent manner, but
conflicting because we aren’t quite sure we should feel so good about it.”

While these films
resonate with our frustration with injustice, we must think through the
implications of these stories.

In many of them,
governing and justice systems are absent, utterly ineffectual or corrupt, so
victims take the law into their own hands.

Our own justice
system is flawed and broken—and always will be. “Little ‘j’ justice is a good
thing but will always be an imperfect thing,” observes McCracken. “It will
always be a justice that makes us long for the big ‘J’ Justice of the ultimate
Judge … that inaugurates a perfect kingdom and a shalom that lasts.”

In our vigilance
in confronting injustice and flawed systems, we must be wary of glorifying
heroes of vigilante justice, says Jewett, because we run the risk that “respect
for law disintegrates, and the yearning for violent resolution of the
quick-and-easy sort gains highly dangerous, public forums” in our own culture.

Paul gives
believers another way to respond to the need for vengeance: overcome evil with
good and love (Rom. 12:9-21) — and how that sits with us might be an indication
of our own spiritual well-being.

As Jewett puts
it, “Are humans really capable of such actions if they are not entirely certain
of the final judgment of God, the final triumph of righteousness? How can
persecuted people counter despair without such hope? How can they gain the power
to respond creatively with burning coals except by trusting finally in the
power of God either to transform or to punish the wicked?”

God demands that
we stand and act against evil. The idea of taking vengeance is seductive, but
it will not bring the true justice or peace we yearn for. If we want to work
with God to bring kingdom shalom, we must choose another way.

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I am a writer, editor and graphic designer with broad experience in writing, editing, magazine publishing, web management and developing communication strategies for new and traditional media. Currently, I work in public relations and do a bit of freelancing. This is my space to write about popular culture and faith.